Welding device



March 8,1938. D, T AY 2,110,271

WELDING DEVICE Filed Aug. 8, 1935 INVENTOR D. 72 MA Y ATTOR/Vi Y 1 Patented Mar. 8, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application August 8, 1935, Serial No. 35,233

\ 7 Claim.

This invention relates to welding and particularly to portable welding tools.

It has been proposed heretofore to employ pliers or tongs equipped with electrodes for electric welding. These portable tools are especially .suitable where the work is light and more or less inaccessible or is otherwise of such a character as not-to be easily handled by stationary welding machines. The objects of the present invention are to increase the usefulness and eillciency of portable welding tools, to combine with their usual welding function certain other functions necessary to the complete welding process, and otherwise to improve devices of this kind.

According to one feature of the invention a pair of welding pliers or tongs Sultablefor welding flexible metal stock, such as ribbon or wire, are provided with a spool or drum for holding a supply of the. stock. This drum is mounted for rotation in any suitable location on the plier members. One convenient place for mounting it is at the pivot point of the two pliermembers.

Another feature is a feed mechanism comprising rollers secured to the pliers and driven by a ratchet in response to the movement -of the between the heating electrodes of the pliers. Also I the feed mechanism insures that the proper amount of the stock is fed forward for each successive welding operation.

The foregoing and other features of'the invention-will be described more'fully in the 101- Fig. 3 is 'a perspective detail showing one of the welding electrodes;

m. 4 shows an ammauve-mrm of reel or 55 spool for the welding stock; and

The stock is protected Fig. 5 shows a portion of a switch terminal bank.

The welding tool illustrated herein is constructed in the form of a set of pliers or tongs. These pliers comprise the two handles I and 5 2 which'are joined by a pivot member 3. The extensions 4 and 5 of the handles i and 2 serve to support the welding electrodes together with certain other operating elements whichwill be described presently. The coiled springs 6 and I 10 interconnecting the handles and their extensions tend to maintain the operating members of the ers II and I2 and by means of insulating bushings for the screws 0 and III, one of which can be seen in Fig. 1. The other or right-hand elec- -25 trode comprisesa T-shaped block I3 (Fig. 3) of some suitable conducting material. The electrode I3 is secured to the jaw l4 of the pliers by means of machine screws I 5 audit. This electrode, like the other one, is carefully insulated from the jaw l4 and from the-other metal parts by means 0 insulating spacers I1 and i8 and insulating "lshings for the screws l5 and IS. The sides of the electrode II are flanked withremovablzblocks l9 and III of some suitable high resistance refractory material, such as silica. These blocks [9 and 2. are removably attached by means of clip springs II, and they project slightly beyond the welding surface of the electrode I! to form a channel 4!, as is 443 seen more clearly in Fig. 3. The P rp se of this; constructlon will be described hereinafter.

The jaw ll of the pliers is secured to the extension 5 by means of a pivot 22. Ahelical spring 23: interposed between the jaw l4 and the ex- .45

spect to the extension 5 when no force is exerted upon the handles of the. tool. 1

Th we ding stock which this tool is particularly-designed to weld to the surface of stationarymblecte, such as the contact ,of selector switches, may be in the form of a a bracket 32 which is integrally formed with the bracket 28 and is therefore secured to the jaw 4 by means of the screws 9 and III. The feed roller 3| is equipped with a ratchet wheel which is engaged by a stepping pawl 33, which pawl is in turn pivotedto the right-hand -.iaw l4.

After the metallic ribbon 26 passes between the feed rollers so and 3|, it extends upwardly in a position directly opposite the welding surface of the electrode l3 and consequently in a position opposite the channel 4| .formed by the electrode l3 and the projecting blocks l3 and 20. This position of the ribbon 26 is clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The other electrode 8 isprovided with a shoulder on its surface and, with the pliers in their open position, is sufficiently spaced from the ribbon to permit the application of the tool -to the object, such as a stationary switch terminal, to which it is desired to weld the ,metallic ribbon. Figs. 1 and 2 show the tool after it has been applied to a switch terminal 34 ready for switch 3'lirr the position shown the condenser 36 the welding operation.

The weldingcurrent is supplied to the tool from any suitable source 35v by means of a condenser 36 and a manually operable switch 31. With the is charged-by thesource '35. When the switch 31 is thrown to its opposite position, the terminals of the condenser 36 are connected to conductors 38 and 39,- respectively, these conductors being connected to the electrodes 8 and I3 of the tool. 1

A brief description will now be given of the manner in which this tool operates. As has been explained hereinbefore, this welding tool is particularly suitable for welding a thin strip of metal; such as silver, to the contact surface of the stationary terminals of automatic switches. Arow of these terminals is illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawing. The switch brush 40 shown in this figure moves over the lateral surface of the terminals-34. If these terminals are of base metal; such as brass, they tend to corrode and collect adeposit of high resistance .material which interferes with the operation of the circults of which they are a part. By applying a the rubbing or contact areas of .these terminals,

by the welfiii fi surface "ofthe electrode 13,- and ;flaw.member integrally withone of said "15 "land the opposing electrode I3.

their electrical emciency is greatly increased, and

it is for this purpose that the welding tool herein disclosed is particularly suitable. In order to perform the welding operation, the workman seizes the tool and applies it to one of the terminals 34 with the end' of the terminal fitting into the shoulder shown in'the"electrode 8. as seen in Fig. 1. With'the tool in this. position the ribbon 26 extends to a. position adjacent the surface of the terminal 34 and-opposite the channel. 4| formed by the refractory blocks l9 and I The workman now squeezes the handles of the pliers,'- causing the Jaw M to advance the electrode'l3--toward fthe ribbon 25. As the electrode l3 advances, the ribbon-52 enters the channel 4| and is-engaged with the continued advance of electrode l3 the ribbon 26 is moved against the surface of the terminal 34. The channel 4| is sumcient in width to embrace the terminal 34. The result of this movement is that the ribbon 26 is firmly pressed against the surface of the terminal 34 by the welding surface of theelectrode l3. The yielding...connection provided by the helical spring 23 prevents an excessive pressure from being applied to the ribbon 26 and the other parts. A small cutting projection 42 on the welding surface of the electrode l3 serves to sever the ribbon 26. The movement of the jaw |4 also causes the pawl 33 to slip into the next tooth on the ratchet wheel. Having brought the tool to this stage of its operation, the worlnnan now throws the switch 31 to apply the condenser with its charge to the electrodes of the tool. The sudden discharge of the condenser through the electrodes produces a current of relatively high intensity in that part of the electrical circuit which includes the surface of the terminal 34 and the severed portion of the ribbon 26. The refractory blocks I9 and 20 serve to concentrate the heat in the region of the weld. The ribbon is thus securely welded to the terminal without producing excessive heat in other portions of the welding circuit and without maintaining the welding current at its high intensity for a sumcient period of time to injure the parts. The workman next releases his grip on the handles l and 2, and the springs 6 and return the working members of the tool to their normal position. As the jaw l4 restores to its electrodes.

The tool maynow be applied to the next terminal 34. As the jaw I4 again advances in the manner above described, the pawl 33 slips into the next notch of the feed roller ratchet preparatory to advancing the ribbon when the handles are again released.

In Fig. 4 a modification of the ribbon-feed reel is shown. In this modification the reel or spool 43 is secured to the operating members 44 and 46 at their pivotal point 46.

While the invention has been described particularly in connection with welding flat metallic stock to the terminals of automatic switches, it should be understood that it may be used for welding stock of other shapes, such as wire, and that the stock may be applied to a variety of objects. And, while this tool has been described as suitable for welding silver, it may also be employed for welding other materials. Moreover, the tool disclosed may be used with other circuit arrangements for applying the welding current.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination in at tool for welding flexible strip metal to a stationary object of plier members pivoted together, a reel for holding a supply of said flexible strip metal and mounted for rotation about the pivotal'axis-of said plier members, means for advancing said striptoward the welding point, welding electrodes attached to said plier members, and handles acting on said plier members to bring said electrodes into engagement with said'statlonary. object and said flexible strip of metal and tqbring the flexible strip into engagement'with th stationary object to effect the-welding operation" I,

2. The combination in a weldingtool for-welding flexible -metal' of' a pairof plier handles, a

handles, a second jaw member pivotally secured to the second one of said handles, a pair of electrodes attached respectively to said jaw members, a reel mounted at the pivotal point of said plier handles for holding a supply of the flexible metal, means for feeding the flexible metal to a point between said electrodes, and resilient means interconnecting said second jaw member and said second handle to prevent the application of excessive force to said flexible metal when said electrodes are moved toward each other.

3. The combination in a welding tool,for welding flexible metal of a pair of plier handles, a jaw member integrally formed with one of said handles, a second jaw member yieldably secured to the second one of said handles, a pair of electrodes attached to said jaw members respectively, and means for feeding a supply of the flexible metal to a point between said electrodes.

4. The combination in a welding tool. for welding flexible metal of a pair of plier handles pivoted to each other, a jaw member integrally formed with one of said handles, an electrode securely attached to saidjaw member, a second jaw member pivoted to the second one of said handles, resilient means interconnecting said second handle and said pivoted jaw member, a second electrode detachabiy secured to said second jaw member in opposing relation to said first-mentioned electrode, a spool secured to one of said jaw members for holding a supply of the flexible metal, and feeding mechanism attached to the other of said jaw members for advancing the flexible metal from said spool to a point between said electrodes.

5. The combination in a tool for welding sheet metal to a metallic object, of a pair of operating I members rotatably secured to each other, an electrode fixed to one of said members, a second electrode flxed to the other operating member and in .opposing relation to the first electrode, means mounted on one of said members for holding a ward said electrodes, refractory members mounted on one of said electrodes and'serving to concentrate the heat in the region of the welding operation, and manually operated means acting on said operating members for bringing said electrodes-together to eifect the welding of said sheet metal to the metallic object.

6. The combination in a tool for welding sheet metal to a metallic object, of a pair of operating members rotatably secured to each other, an electrode fixed to one of said members, a second electrode flxed to the other operating member and in opposing relation to the first electrode, means mounted on one of said members for holding a stock of said sheet metal, means controlled by said members for advancing the sheet metal toward said electrodes, blocks of refractory material detachably mounted on one or? said electrodes forming therewith a recess for receiving the sheet metal and serving to concentrate the welding heat, and manually operated means acting on said operating members for bringing said electrodes together to efiect the welding of said sheet metal to the metallic object.

'7. The combination in a welding tool for welding flexible metal or a pair of plier handles, a jaw member integrally formed with one of said handles, a second jaw member pivotally secured.

to the second one of said handles, a pair of electrodes attached respectively to said jaw members,

a reel mounted on said tool for holding a supply of the flexible metal, means for feeding the flexible metal to a point between said electrodes, resilient means interconnecting said second jaw member and said second handle to prevent the application of excessive force to said flexible metal when the electrodes are moved toward each other, and cutting 'means on one of said electrodes for severing said flexible metal.

DAVID T. MAY.

stock of said sheet metal, means controlled by said members for advancing the sheet metal to- 

